How to install a VPN on Mac

VPN connections are very useful for protecting devices when we connect to a public Wi-Fi network, as well as being able to mask the IP of origin and make us truly anonymous when we surf from abroad. If we use a Mac or MacBook to connect to the Internet, installing a VPN service is within everyone’s reach, without necessarily having to be IT experts.

In the following guide we will show you all the simple methods for install a vpn on mac using both browsers equipped with integrated VPN and specific apps released by the main VPN services on the market. For the more demanding it is possible too manually set up a VPN on Mac using a specific OpenVPN client.

READ ALSO -> VPN Comparison: Which is the Fastest and Most Secure?

1) Use browser with VPN included

The quickest and fastest way to use a VPN on a Mac is to use a browser with a VPN service included, such as the browser Opera.

By installing this browser on the Mac it is possible to obtain a fast VPN service with which to mask browsing data, change the IP address and also speed up browsing (thanks to the compression of the data requested by web pages).

To activate the VPN, install Opera on your Mac, start it from the lower Dock bar or from the Launchpad, press the gear icon on the sidebar to open the Settingsclick on the menu Functionality and activate the switch next to the item Activate VPN.

After activation, the VPN icon will appear next to the address bar at the top, a clear sign that each of our visited sites cannot be intercepted or monitored.

To learn more we can read our guides on How to use Opera VPN and what are the best browsers with free VPN included.

2) Use VPN extensions for Chrome on Mac

As an excellent method to install a VPN on Mac we can also use VPNs VPN extensions compatible with Google Chromeso you don’t have to change your browsing habits and protect your connection when we use the Google browser on Mac.

To proceed, all we have to do is open Google Chrome on the Mac and install a VPN extension such as CyberGhost VPN Free o Hub VPN.

After installation, simply open the extension icon at the top right (by pressing the puzzle-shaped icon if necessary) and start the secure connection, also choosing the country with which to mask the anonymous IP.

The recommended VPN extensions work for free without any registration: it will therefore be enough to install them on Chrome on the Mac and immediately benefit from an excellent level of protection when we surf the Internet.

Always on the same topic we can read our guide to Best VPNs for Chrome (Free Extensions).

3) Use specific VPN apps

If we want to protect all the applications on the Mac it is necessary to install avpn security app provided directly by the chosen service. The best VPN services that support Mac very well are:

• ProtonVPN (free)
• AtlasVPN (free)
• CyberGhost VPN (subscription)
• NordVPN (subscription)

To install the VPN we choose the service that best suits our needsdownload the Mac-compatible file, install it and, once the new VPN app is open, log in with the account created at the service.

From now on it is possible protect your entire Mac system by starting the app and choosing which country to appear in; to speed up the connection we can also choose the key Better server o Quick connectionletting the app find the best connection for us.

To learn more we can read our guides on how to check if the VPN works and protects privacy and a suit VPN speed and security comparison.

4) Configure OpenVPN on Mac

Many corporate VPN connections use OpenVPN to make the encrypted connection with the network provided by the company; if we want to connect to a corporate network via Mac we will have to download the app tunnel visionan efficient OpenVPN client available for any version of macOS.

The operation of the app is similar to OpenVPN on other systems: after opening the app, open the Finder in the Dock bar, double-click on the file .ovpn previously downloaded or provided directly by the company, make sure you have the security certificates (.cert) in the same folder as the .ovpn file and, when prompted, confirm the addition of the new VPN connection.

To establish the actual connection we open the Tunnelblick app at the top right and press on the item Connect present next to the name of the newly added connection.

As an alternative we can also use the official OpenVPN client for Mac, as seen in our guide on how to use OpenVPN to create a private network for free.

Conclusions

Also on Mac we can use VPN connections with the same ease with which we were used to on other systems: just choose the type of VPN we want to use.

Novice users will prefer to use VPN browsers and VPN extensionswhile advanced users will immediately focus on dedicated VPN apps and configuring OpenVPN via open source clients.

Still on the VPN theme we can read our insights on best VPNs for iPhone free and unlimited come on how to hide address on iphone.